Youth Impacted By Recent 'Mitchell Report' on Major League Baseball Steroid Abuse

BALTIMORE, Dec. 14 Former Senator George Mitchell's callfor 'a well-planned, well-executed, and sustained effort ... to bring the eraof steroids and human growth hormone to an end,' is exactly why a year ago welaunched Powered by ME!, an innovative program to change the "win at all cost"mindset among young athletes," said John Tolmie president and CEO of St.Joseph Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

In February 2007, St. Joseph Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland alongwith the Maryland State Department of Education, Congressman Elijah Cummings,and other key partners launched Powered by ME! (www.poweredbymemd.com).Poised to become a national model for parents, coaches and athletes across thecountry, Powered by ME! educates young people about the dangers of anabolicsteroids and other performance enhancing substances. The project functions ona grassroots level by working with the public and private schools, healthclubs, youth sports leagues and similar programs in a campaign to get asingle, simple message to student athletes - performance enhancing substancesare tantamount to cheating and can even be life-threatening.

"We've educated more than 1,000 youth, parents and coaches since lastFebruary, and the reception has been phenomenal, overwhelming. They're payingattention," added Tolmie.

The Maryland effort to steer young athletes away from performanceenhancing substances traces its beginnings to the highly publicized March 2005congressional hearing on steroids in professional baseball.

"Some professional athletes have set a bad example for our country'syouth. It is so important that we educate our children and make sure theyunderstand that anabolic steroid use for the sole purpose of winning the gameis cheating, is dangerous and is wrong," said Congressman Elijah E. Cummings.

REPORTER/EDITOR NOTE: Powered by ME! has panels of community and medicalexperts available to speak on the topic of the abuse of steroids by athletesand the impact on youth. Other Powered by ME! founding partners includeOrthopaedic Associates, Towson Sports Medicine, The Center for EatingDisorders at Sheppard Pratt, Baltimore Blast and St. Agnes HealthCare. Also ablue ribbon panel of volunteer experts who represent coaches, teachers,parents, athletes and medical professionals has been established to supportthe educational program

St. Joseph Medical Center is a 374-bed nonprofit, regional medical centerin Towson, Maryland, and a member of Catholic Health Initiatives. Founded in1864 by the Sisters of St. Francis, today St. Joseph Medical Center'sspecialty centers include the Orthopaedic Institute, Heart Institute, andCancer Institute. For more information about St. Joseph Medical Center, visitwww.sjmcmd.org.

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